HIGHLIGHTS

7GB of storage will automatically be reserved

This space will be used for updates and temporary files

The reserve storage limit can also be extended

When it comes to downloading heavy system updates, users often have to clear disk space to install the new build if they are running low on internal storage. Microsoft is planning to eliminate that hassle with the next major Windows 10 update that will automatically assign a particular amount of disk storage to install new updates, apps, temporary files, and system caches. The upcoming Windows 10 update will automatically create 7GB of reserved space in order to make sure that the performance of apps and the system as a whole is not affected by the paucity of free disk space.

In a blog post, Microsoft revealed that the change will be implemented with the next major Windows 10 update (19H1) which is expected to arrive in the first half of 2019. The reserved storage will automatically be created on all devices running the 1903 build of Windows 10 and won't require any external setup from the users' end.

So, what would be the impact of this storage reservation technique on a device's performance?

Well, apps and system processes running in the background create temporary files which are stored on the free disk space, and so is the case with updates which also require free space to install and add new features. But when a system is running low on storage, users are forced to clean up some space, besides witnessing a negative impact on the overall performance.

But with a fixed amount of space assigned exclusively (7GB in most cases) for updates and temporary files, users won't be pestered with requests to clean up system storage, neither will the performance of certain features or apps take a hit. Moreover, the unnecessary OS files in the reserved storage will automatically be deleted to clear space for a new update in the future.

And in case an update requires more than 7GB of reserved storage, the system will automatically utilise the free space available elsewhere. But if the requisite amount of additional space is not available, Windows will guide users through a step-by-step process to temporarily expand the space by using an external storage device.

The reserved storage functionality is already available to members of the Windows Insider program running build no. 18298 of Windows 10 or a later version. One can check the reserved storage on their Windows 10 system by following this path: Start > Search for “Storage settings” > Show more categories > System & reserved > Reserved storage.